Crystal and gem therapy is the ancient art of placing a corresponding stone directly on or over a specific part of a person’s body. Crystal therapy is an ancient art of accommodating crystals, minerals and semiprecious stones directly on or around our body, aiming at reaching a state of deep relaxation, emotional stress release, emotional pain release, balancing the physical body and all the other invisible subtle bodies.Crystal Healing or Crystal Therapy is the ancient art of laying-on-of-stones. Gems, stones and crystals are laid on the body over and around the chakra points. Each chakra resonates to a particular color, so by laying a stone of that color over the chakra, the chakras open, balance, align and blend with one another.If you wish to bring the quality of a particular color to the chakra, you may choose a different color. For example, to bring peace and calm to a chakra, use a blue stone such as blue lace agate.When the chakra system is balanced, the physical body is able to innately self-correct and heal.Crystals bring color and light into the aura and into the physical body via the chakra system and the subtle layers of the body through the principle of vibration and resonance.Crystals can also be used in specific grid patterns in various forms of sacred geometry. These sacred geometric grids create pillars of light opening the body to multi-dimensional awareness and understanding.Used in conjunction with aromatherapy and sound, the color light experience of crystals are deepened and expanded at the same time.Crystals are one of the tools of vibration and resonance that create sensory healing.

Crystal therapy is an ancient healing system concerned with treating patients
holistically through the precise placement of crystals on the body and the surrounding room.This means that, unlike Western healthcare (which tends to focus on treating one symptom/ailment at a time) crystal therapy addresses the patient as a whole – paying as much attention to his or her spiritual and emotional well-being as to their physical health.Crystal therapy is a non-invasive, relaxing, natural and enjoyable process. Whether you believe in the physical healing properties of crystals or not, the therapy itself will offer you a chance to lie back, relax and get in touch with your body’s energies so you can leave feeling refreshed, restored and de-stressed – a perfect platform for improved physical health.The use of crystals dates all the way back to ancient Egyptian times. Though they often used the precious stones for jewellery and cosmetics, they also used them for protection and health purposes, such as the use of topaz for purging evil spirits.Various crystals and minerals are placed on or around a fully clothed person to induce deep relaxation, release stress and pain, and promote energy balance within the physical and subtle bodies. The treatment takes around an hour and crystals may be used singly or in patterns. They are placed on sites of pain, on acupuncture points or meridians, or on subtle energy vortexes called chakras. Crystals have the ability to hold and emit energy vibrations. When a crystal is put in a watch the battery sends a constant charge through the crystal. The crystal absorbs the charge, and then releases it at such a precise rate it is used to make the watch keep perfect time. Crystals affect our electro-magnetic energy fields or subtle bodies which surround and permeate the physical body. These include the etheric, emotional and mental bodies, which are collectively called the aura.Crystals absorb, focus, direct and diffuse our energy fields to enable a diseased or out of balance body to find it’s natural energetic rhythm once again. The appropriate crystals can be placed on the seven main chakras, which look like different colored spinning wheels of subtle energy, running up the center of the torso. These link the subtle energy fields of our aura with our emotions, glands, organs, physical body parts and subtle and physical circulatory flows. This is why wearing certain crystals such as yellow citrine may uplift you, rose quartz may help to ease heartache, and amethyst may calm a busy mind and help you to sleep.

If you know what effect each type of crystal has according to its color, shape and mineral content, then you can make use of them to initiate a specific effect on the energy balance of chakras, meridians, energy, organs and emotions. Usually crystals with the points facing away from the problem area move the energy away from that area, and crystals placed with the points facing inwards recharge the body with subtle energies.

For instance a pain such as a headache indicates an over-energy situation or energy blockage. A crystal such as an amethyst point can be used to move the energy away from the area of imbalance.

Four amethyst points are used. Lie down and place one amethyst on either side of the base of the throat, just above the innermost end of the collarbones. The points should be facing upwards towards the head. Place another amethyst on the brow chakra in the middle of the forehead with the point facing up towards the crown of the head. Place the fourth crystal above the crown of the head, with the point facing straight up and away from crown of the head.

A fifth optional amethyst can be put below the back of the head, on the cervical vertebrae of the neck, with the point facing up towards the head, if the headache originates from tight neck muscles. If you find it difficult to make the crystals stay in place you can tape them on with micropore. Relax with the crystals in place for 5-15 minutes, or for as long as it takes for the headache to ease. Drink plenty of mineral water following the treatment.

There are many layouts to choose from, so the therapist either works intuitively or dowses with a pendulum for the right layout. For instance the “Seal of Solomon” layout can also be used to relieve pain or stress. Six quartz points in a star formation can be placed around a painful spot, or around the whole body. A malachite stone can be placed in the center to accelerate the dispersal of energy. Another layout called “The figure of eight” uses quartz crystals in the shape of a figure of eight to increase the movement of the body’s electro-magnet energy where it has become sluggish

Some crystals such as ruby or garnet enhance vitality, and others such as amethyst, malachite and lapis calm over-energy states. In general warm colored stones – red, orange and yellow – stimulate energy flow, and cool colors – blue, green and violet – generally calm over activity. In a treatment some areas will need calming and others will need stimulating, but if you were to use a stimulating stone and a calming stone on the same spot it would simply neutralise the effect of each stone.

A crystal is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macroscopic single crystals are usually identifiable by their geometrical shape, consisting of flat faces with specific, characteristic orientations. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography. The process of crystal formation via mechanisms of crystal growth is called crystallization or solidification.The word crystal derives from the Ancient Greek word κρύσταλλος (krustallos), meaning both “ice” and “rock crystal”,from κρύος (kruos), “icy cold, frost”.

The scientific definition of a “crystal” is based on the microscopic arrangement of atoms inside it, called the crystal structure. A crystal is a solid where the atoms form a periodic arrangement. Not all solids are crystals. For example, when liquid water starts freezing, the phase change begins with small ice crystals that grow until they fuse, forming a polycrystalline structure. In the final block of ice, each of the small crystals (called “crystallites” or “grains”) is a true crystal with a periodic arrangement of atoms, but the whole poly crystal does not have a periodic arrangement of atoms, because the periodic pattern is broken at the grain boundaries. Most macroscopic inorganic solids are poly crystalline, including almost all metals, ceramics, ice, rocks, etc. Solids that are neither crystalline nor poly crystalline, such as glass, are called amorphous solids, also called glassy, vitreous, or noncrystalline.A crystal structure (an arrangement of atoms in a crystal) is characterized by its unit cell, a small imaginary box containing one or more atoms in a specific spatial arrangement. The unit cells are stacked in three-dimensional space to form the crystal.The symmetry of a crystal is constrained by the requirement that the unit cells stack perfectly with no gaps.Crystals are commonly recognized by their shape, consisting of flat faces with sharp angles. These shape characteristics are not necessary for a crystal—a crystal is scientifically defined by its microscopic atomic arrangement, not its macroscopic shape—but the characteristic macroscopic shape is often present and easy to see.

Euhedral crystals are those with obvious, well-formed flat faces. Anhedral crystals do not, usually because the crystal is one grain in a poly crystalline solid.

A gemstone (also called a gem, fine gem, jewel, precious stone or semi-precious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli) or organic materials that are not minerals (such as amber, jet, and pearl) are also used for jewelry and are therefore often considered to be gemstones as well. Most gemstones are hard, but some soft minerals are used in jewelry because of their luster or other physical properties that have aesthetic value. Rarity is another characteristic that lends value to a gemstone. Apart from jewelry, from earliest antiquity engraved gems and hard stone carvings, such as cups, were major luxury art forms. A gem maker is called a lapidary or gem cutter; a diamond worker is a diamantaire. The traditional classification in the West, which goes back to the ancient Greeks, begins with a distinction between precious and semi-precious; similar distinctions are made in other cultures. In modern usage the precious stones are diamond, ruby, sapphire, and emerald, with all other gemstones being semi-precious. This distinction reflects the rarity of the respective stones in ancient times, as well as their quality: all are translucent with fine color in their purest forms, except for the colorless diamond, and very hard, with harnesses of 8 to 10 on the Mohs scale. Other stones are classified by their color, translucency and hardness. The traditional distinction does not necessarily reflect modern values, for example, while garnets are relatively inexpensive, a green garnet called favorite can be far more valuable than a mid-quality emerald. Another unscientific term for semi-precious gemstones used in art history and archaeology is hard stone. Use of the terms ‘precious’ and ‘semi-precious’ in a commercial context is, arguably, misleading in that it deceptively implies certain stones are intrinsically more valuable than others, which is not necessarily the case.In modern times gemstones are identified by gemologists, who describe gems and their characteristics using technical terminology specific to the field of gemology. The first characteristic a gemologist uses to identify a gemstone is its chemical composition.

Gemstones radiate their life force with great power. When used properly they can bring light into areas of darkness and neutralize blockages within your being. As these blockages dissolve, the light of the life force can once again shine through to enliven, nourish, and heal you. Each type of gemstone expresses a different frequency; therefore, it can address a different kind of blockage.Gemstones not only contain life force, they also transform it into gemstone energy. In a gemstone sphere, life force is continually drawn in from the entire surface of the sphere to the sphere’s center. As it moves toward the center, the life force becomes more and more concentrated. This concentration fuels the transformation of life force into gemstone energy and causes the gem’s energy to be unleashed with great power.Only the highest quality gemstones are truly healing. Gemstones of lesser quality have significantly less, if any, therapeutic effect—and, indeed, can even have a detrimental effect on their users. Only therapeutic-quality gemstones allow the full range of a gemstone’s healing properties to be expressed, and they alone should be used for the purposes and benefits the Gemstone Guardians describe.

Gemstone therapy uses natural gemstones and quartz crystals to gently correct, align or release imbalanced or blocked energy within the body. Each stone’s unique energy vibration raises the vibration frequency level of the aura (or energy field) surrounding the body where emotions, feeling and reactions are stored. Crystal and gemstone healing is not a newly discovered healing modality and should not be designated as a “New Age” therapy. In fact it is used in many indigenous cultures, plus it also dates back to ancient Atlantis and Lumuria (Mu) civilizations.The energy vibrations from gemstones access the “soul” level through the seven main chakras (body’s energy centres). The stones create movement where stuck energy exists. By raising the body’s energy vibration, this in turn unblocks deep seated negative or stuck patterns hidden at the “soul” level, which is where the “root” cause is found, identified and eliminated. Once blockages are released, the immune system receives an energy boost to strengthen it, thereby relieving physical symptoms (E.g. pain, discomfort, allergies or inflammation, etc.). Gemstone therapy promotes self-healing by influencing all four levels or bodies – emotional, mental, physical and spiritual.

Crystal and gem therapy is the use of semiprecious and precious stones to enhance mental, spiritual, and physical healing. It is based on the belief that certain crystals and gems possess a powerful energy that can positively affect imbalances in human energy fields and thus promote health and well-being. Practitioners believe that some stones direct their energy toward emotional states, while others affect certain organs through contact with the body’s related energy centers (known as meridians in traditional Chinese medicine and chakras in Indian Ayurveda).They can also be laid out over the various chakras and within the body’s auric field. Crystals and gemstones, like all elements, contain energetic properties. These stones and their powerful energies have the ability to heal our bodies and heighten our spiritual lives by correcting unbalanced vibrations in the body. Their vibration frequencies are believed to correspond to each of the chakras, as well as to the specific chakra color. Healers also use crystals in meditation and some people wear crystals to bring about certain desired traits. Others hold a specific stone in their hand to heal a physical or emotional condition and keep symptoms in check. Depending on a therapist’s preference and the efficacy of the stone on a particular individual, the category of stones chosen can differ greatly. In other words, crystals, gems and their energies are interchangeable depending on the healer and the ailment. During the process of crystal therapy one can use individual crystals, but more often one deals with specific crystal patterns. These crystal patters can be produced in various geometrical shapes. It is believed that specific geometrical shapes are capable of creating specific light tubes, by means of which our body is able to open itself toward the multidimensional realms of reality.

During the crystal therapy, individual crystals can be placed directly on the area of pain, on the specific meridians, acupressure points, and on the energy centers – chakras. A delicate combination of sound, light and color is also one of the possibilities to be used in parallel with the selected crystals for crystal healing. In the case where one works with individual crystals, it is necessary to firstly locate the problem and thus the specific energy center in charge of the problem. Selected crystals for that particular energy center (chakra) can afterwards be used for a time period between 5 and 25 minutes.During a crystal and gem therapy session, the practitioner may ask you to lie down on a comfortable bed or on a table. Quiet music may be played as the therapist places stones of specific color, pattern, or type around your body or on specific energy centers, depending on your ailment. If you have pain in a particular place, the practitioner may place a stone over the site of the pain for 20 to 40 minutes. Practitioners may also suggest that you put individual stones around your home, carry them in your pocket, or wear them around your neck or elsewhere on your body. The stones are sold through some health-food stores, and are also available from hobby and mineral shops.Some therapists also make healing crystal and gem “essences.” They do this by immersing a stone in purified water or by crushing it, putting the pieces in a “mother tincture,” and then diluting the tincture. Essences are typically placed under the tongue with a dropper, although they can also be applied to the body topically.Their first use dates back to Biblical times and throughout ancient Rome and Egypt.

Below is a comprehensive list of all of the important healing crystals, gems and gemstones.

Crystals and gemstones have amazing holistic healing abilities and can be used for many other applications such as meditation, quantum touch healing and reiki, as well as for chakra clearing and chakra balancing.Quartz crystals have piezoelectric properties; they develop an electric potential upon the application of mechanical stress. An early use of this property of quartz crystals was in phonograph pickups. One of the most common piezoelectric uses of quartz today is as a crystal oscillator. The quartz clock is a familiar device using the mineral. The resonant frequency of a quartz crystal oscillator is changed by mechanically loading it, and this principle is used for very accurate measurements of very small mass changes in the quartz crystal micro balance and in thin-film thickness monitors.

Gemstone therapy has a rich history, ever since the beginning of time gemstones and minerals have been used for healing, early on in history it was discovered that people felt better when they were at a certain location where stones were found, as opposed to when they were at home for example. Soon the link between health and (gem)stones and minerals was made.

The nature based tribes of the past used everything in their area to appease the Gods – herbs, animals and gemstones as well. From grave finds from the Stone Age we can tell that Amber, Jet and Garnets were used as jewelry even that far back in history. Spear points made out of flints were also found all over Europe.

According to legend (gem)stones and minerals were frequently used in the once so mighty empire of Atlantis, these crystals were not only used for healing but were also used to store information, energy supplies and even radio waves, they could send the human voice and images, like modern day television, over long distances. Atlantis was a highly developed civilization that came to an end in a disastrous manner 12.000 years ago, due to the misuse of knowledge and the powers of crystals. Unfortunately these high tech possibilities that crystals harbour in them, but thanks to the visions of certain psychics and seers a part of the possibilities of crystals and minerals have been obtained, as well as the lives of the Atlanteans.

The Ancient Greeks and Romans also
made use of the healing powers of these little wonders of Mother Earth. The Ancient Greeks called gemstones and minerals the bones of Gaia, and to be perfectly honest I don’t think that such a strange comparison because our earth’s crust is built up out of so many minerals and gemstones. In Greek mythology stones also play a very important role, for instance think of the mythos of Kronos and Zeus, where Kronos is forced to eat a stone by his wife Rhea, she claimed the stone was their youngest son Zeus. When Zeus became of age, he freed his brothers and sisters from his father’s stomach and the stone, which Kronos had thought was Zeus, was transported to Delphi where it was revered. The Ancient Greeks mostly used gemstones as a talisman or amulet.

For thousands of years before Common Era gemstones were cut and polished in Babylonia. The Egyptians have mentioned Emeralds in the second century BCE and of course Queen Cleopatra’s Emerald mines were very well known. The Egyptians enjoyed the finer things in life and of course gemstones can be placed into this category. All gemstones found in the pyramids and other graves were very bright in colour; especially Malachite, Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Amazonite and Azurite were found a lot in these sites. Often these stones were combined with the metals Copper and Gold, which must’ve been quite the display of abundance. A suitable example of this is the sarcophagus of the child pharaoh Tutanchamon, laid in with beautiful stones. The Eye of Horus, or the Utchat, was traditionally made of Lapis Lazuli or Turquoise although it is found made out of various materials.

In India gemstones were categorised according to caste, Ruby was classified as belonging to the highest caste, the one of the Brahmans. The Moonstone was also important to the Indians, this stone signified love and fertility and in the Indian culture the human’s love life was very important – just think of the Kama Sutra.

In China Jade (Jadeite) was revered as the symbol of Buddha and the philosopher Confucius praised it as the symbol of beauty, justice and wisdom.

In North America the native tribes still use Turquoise today. In this culture Turquoise is considered an amulet and talisman, all rolled in one; the other stones that belong to this culture are Lapis Lazuli, Coral, Jet, Abalone Shell and Obsidian, mostly Apache Tears. The shamans used stones and minerals in magical rituals and also in laying out a medicine wheel gemstones and minerals can be used.

The Aztecs, Toltecs and Mayas of Central and South America also abundantly used the Turquoise. This stone is still considered one of the most powerful protective stones and it is still very popular today, like it was in the past.

The Incas adorned their temples and palaces with the most beautiful gemstones like Rubies, Emeralds and Topaz. Unfortunately the Spanish conquistadores stole many of the treasures of the Incas when they discovered the Americas. Only a small amount of the Inca treasures could be brought to safety and to this day their whereabouts are unknown. One of the places where these treasures were buried is known, but it is severely cursed and secured; everyone who dug for the treasures has not been able to tell the tale and died under suspicious circumstances.

Unfortunately the healing and magical properties of these wonders of Mother Nature were forgotten at a certain point in time. Luckily alternative medicine, among which gemstone therapy, is gaining ground again and the knowledge of the past is restored.